Stropping apparatus



Dec. 26, 1922.

H. C. WILLIAMS. STRoPPlNs APPARATUS.

2 sHEE'rs-sHeI-:T l

F| LED ocT. 13, 1921 ...M n. mllhlmi all l u l i :u

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Dec. 26, 1922. 1,439,934

H. C. WILLIAMS.

STRoPPlNs APPARATUS.

Pulso ocT. 13,1921. 2 SHEETS-sneer 2 Patented Dec, 26, 19222.

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`:lf-IIIARRS C. "WILLIAMS, F ADRIAN, MCI-IIGAN.

sfrnorrrne ArPAaaaUs.

Application filed October 13, 1921. Serial No. 507,449;

To all w /wm 'it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY C. VILLIAMS, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Adrian, inthe county ofLenawee and State of Michigan, have made an lnvention Appertaining toStropping Appa? ratus; and I do hereby declare the follown ing to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenablel others l0 skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe characters of 'reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification. This invention relates to blade stropping devices andparticularly to one for `use in stropping razor blades, and haslfor itsobject the provision ofa simple, improved and eliicient device of thischaracter which is easily operable to quickly strop va blade placed inconnection therewith. i

The invention is fully described in the following specification, andWhile, in its broader aspect, it is capable of embodiment in numerousforms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in -which,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a stropping device embodying ltheinvention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof on the line 2-2in` Fig. 1,Fig. 3 is a side elevation ofthe blade holder carriage removed from thedevice and with the shift rack removed therefrom. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the shift .rack used in connection with the carriage. Fig. 5 is a face view of the perfo- ;z'ated strop material, suchfor instance as a thin strip of hard wood or pressed fiber board, havingat one end an eye 2 for attaching it to a hook and at its lower end ahandle 3. Plates 4, 4, in the present instance of U-shape, are' rigidlysecured to the guide strip 1 near its opposite ends asby bolts 5 withthe side edges or leg portions of the plate projecting beyond the edgesof the guide strips, as indicated, and with the legsof the two plateskprojecting toward each other.

Two posts 6 rigidly project inthe same direction from each plate 4 atright angles referably used in connection with the device, and Figs. 6'and 2' are bot@ to thefaces of the'plates and cooperate to adjustablyand rigidly carry a stiff stropping board or member 7 at one side of theguide-strip 1 in parallel relation thereto. The ends of the board 7, inthe present instance, are forked, with. `the furcations thereof securedtorespective posts 6 by l bolts, as shown, or in any other suitablemanner. `The board 7 is provided at its inner side with a stroppingsurface 8, preferably of leather, having amultiplicity of holes orsockets 9 therein forthe purpose hereinafter described. `The oppositeside ofthe board 7 may also be provided with a stropping surface 10,which is adapted to be placed in blade stropping relation to the guidestrip 1 by a reversal of the board 7 on the post G. i

i carriage 11 is mounted on the guide strip 1 for reciprocatorymovements longitudinally thereof, being provided at j each end with alooped portion 12 `for loosely embracing the guide strip 1 and having ahandle' 13 projecting centrally from tom away from the guide strip 5 tofacilitate imparting reciprocatory movements to the carriage. thecarriage are connected at each end by side strips 14 and each side striphas finger 15 projecting centrally therefrom toward vthe stropping board7, andforming a The looped portions 12 of bearing for the respective endof al cross shaft 16 disposed intermediate the guide strip landstropping board in parallel transverse relation thereto. A blade holderor clip 17 is fixed to the shaft 16 intermediate they bearing lingers 15for lrocliing movements with the shaft andthe shaft is provided 'at eachend without the respective bearing linger 15 with a pinion`18.

j A rack member 19 is carried `by 'the carriage 11 for limitedvreciprocatory movements relative thereto longitudinally of the guidestrip 1. The sidesof the rack member are disposed without the sidestrips 14 of the carriage `and thel ends thereof are provided withlongitudinal slots 20for receiving respective stop-pins 21 on thecarriage.'

The sides of the rack membersare rigidly connected by a cross-piece 22,which extends crosswise of the carriage. under the sider part a rockingmovement in one that a longitudinal movement of the rack member withrespect to the carriage ,will imdirection or the other to the shaft 1Gand blade holder 17. The rack member 19 is shifted at the limit of eachstroke of the carriage on the guide strip 1 by reason of a pinor otherobstruction 24 on the edge of the guide strip striking the projectedends of the rack member 19 slightly before the carriage has reached thelimit of-.its strokeso that the rack member is held stationarywhile thecarriage completes its stroke, thereby imparting a rocking movement tothe shaft 16v to reverse the position of the blade holder.

The blade holder 17 is intended to have` trailing action with respecttothe movement of the carriage and the shifting of the blade holder atthe limit of astroke places it in position for the return trailing`movement. AThe* plates .d areV of U-,shape in the present instance toenable the carriage to enter the` loop or, recess .thereof at `the limitof each stroke andthe stropping board 7 is forked aty each end to4provide an openingv in which the shifting movement ofthe blade holderand blade carried thereby may take TWhile a blade 25, if desired, mayVbecarried -directly by the holder 17., it is'shown,fin the presentinstance, as carried by a separate holderv or clip member 26, that isremovably inserted within the holder 17 A blade which is carried by theholder 1,7 is .held in proper relation to the stropping surface by posts27 one of which is provided on each loop portion 12of`the carriage in-position to project'toward the stropping board, each post 27 beingadjustable to regulate the' pres sure withV which a'blade` supportedindirectly thereby, is held against `thestropping surface, and also toregulate the bevel ofthe blade. holder is in one trailing position withre spect tothe carriage it is supported by one of the posts 27 and whenin its other trailing position is supported by the other post. 1n orderthat the carriage may be held stationary with respect to the guide stripduring the yplacing of a blade in engagement withthe holder or itsremovaly therefrom, the carriage is provided at one end witha set-screw28, which may be turned into holding en.- gagement with the guidestrip 1. 29-desig nates a guard which is secured to the guide strip 1 atthe handle end thereof.

It is found in practice that better sharpeningresults are obtained ifthe stropping surface is provided with holes or sockets 9, as theprovision of holes in such surface tends to eXerta suction action ontheedge of a blade drawn thereover and materially facili tates the formingof a sharp edge lon the blade.

In the useof my device it is preferable to It is evident that when theblade vholder17, the operator moves the carriage downward to effect adrawing of the trailing j blade across the stropping surface in properlyregulated pressure contact therewith. When the carriage is near thelimit of its down stroke the then forward end of the rack member 19strikes the adj acent pins 24k on the guide strip, thereby holding theIrack member stationary duringV the completion of the stroke ofthecarriage and causing a rocking ofthe shaft 16 `and blade holder-17.130.

reverse the position thereof by reason of the pinions 18 travelingalongtherack teeth 28. The stroke ofthe carriage is then reversed andwhennear the limit of its upper stroke the rack member strikes theadjacent pins 24 and is held stationary` thereby during the completionkof the up stroke of the carriage,

and the reversing of the positionof the blade holder. It is evident thatthe posts k27 may beveasily adjusted to regulate the bevel and alsopressure of a blade against the stropping surface, as the posts 27 arethreaded into the looped portions; 12 of the carriage and are locked inadjusted position by lock-- nuts 30. It is preferable, however, toadjust thestropping lboard 7 for pressure andthe parts 27 for bladebevel.

I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specificconstruction, ar.-

rangement, or form of the parts, as it is ca-` pable of numerousmodifications and changes without departing lfrom the spirit of thev Iclaims. v v

yHaving thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is,- i

1. In a stropping device of the class described, a guide strip of stiEmaterial, means carried by the strip and forminga stropping surface inrigid parallel relation to the .guide strip and facing the same, a bladeholder, means mounted on the guide strip for limited reciprocatorymovements longitudinally thereof and carryingtheblade holder in positionto trailtherefrom and for a blade carried thereby to bear at its edgeagainst the stropping surface when the reciprocatory means isreciprocated, the blade holder being carried for rocking movements bythe reciprocatory means,vpinions carried by the blade for limitedrelative movements longitudinally thereof, and means carriedI by theguide' strip yfor coactmg with the rack mem-4 ber at the limit of eachstroke thereof when the reciprocatory means 1s reciprocated to impart ashifting movement t6 the blade stropping surface in rigid parallelrelation to the guide strip and facing the same, a carriage mounted forlimited reciprocatory movements on the guide strip, a rack membercarried by the carriage for limited recipro-` catory movementslongitudinally thereof and `having a rack `portion at each side, a shaftcarried by the carriage for rocking movei ments relative thereto,pinions vfixed to the shaft and in engagement with the respective rackportions oi? the rack member, ablade holder fixed to the shaft andadapted to trail in either direction therefrom in position to `hold ablade carried thereby with its edge in engagement with the stroppingsurface when moved'across the same, means carried by the carriage iorsupporting the blade holder in predetermined relation to the stroppiiig`surfl vface in either trailing position of the holder,

and means associated with the guide strip for coaction with the rackmember to impart relative movements to the kcarriage and rack member atthe limit of each stroke ofthe carriage to effect a reversal of thetrailing position of the blade holder. y In testimony whereof` I havehereunto signed my name to this specification.

HARRY o. WILLIAMS.

